U.S. patent number 6,990,590 [Application Number 10/045,836] was granted by the patent office on 2006-01-24 for strategic internet persona assumption.
This patent grant is currently assigned to International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to James E. Hanson, Sophia Krasikov, John F. Morar, Steve R. White.
United States Patent |
6,990,590 |
Hanson , et al. |
January 24, 2006 |
Strategic internet persona assumption
Abstract
A method, computer program product, and data processing system
for circumventing profiling and targeting of World Wide Web users
is disclosed. A number of fictitious web "personae" are
established. A user wishing to perform a particular web transaction
assumes a persona that best fits the user's current needs. The
user's actions are then attributed to the persona, rather than the
user. When the user wishes to perform another transaction, a
different persona may be assumed, depending upon the circumstances,
so that any disadvantage attributable to performing the same web
transaction multiple times may be eliminated. This has the dual
advantage of both protecting the user's privacy and taking
advantage of special offers and incentives that may be targeted to
first-time customers.
Inventors: |
Hanson; James E. (Yorktown
Heights, NY), Krasikov; Sophia (Katonah, NY), Morar; John
F. (Mahopac, NY), White; Steve R. (New York, NY) |
Assignee: |
International Business Machines
Corporation (Armonk, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
21940135 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/045,836 |
Filed: |
January 10, 2002 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20030131260 A1 |
Jul 10, 2003 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
713/194;
713/193 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L
63/0414 (20130101); H04L 2463/102 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
1/26 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;713/194,193,200,201 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Peeso; Thomas R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Yee; Duke W. Zarick; Gail H.
Nichols; Michael R.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method, operable in a data processing system attached to a
network, and comprising steps of: receiving, from a user, a request
to perform a first transaction through the network; associating a
first false persona with the transaction, wherein the first false
persona is selected from a plurality of false personas so as to
achieve an advantage for the user with respect to the first
transaction; and executing the first transaction under the guise of
the first false persona so as to avoid revealing the user's
identity.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transaction includes
purchasing a product, and wherein the product includes one of a
good and a service.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: selecting the first
false persona so as to prevent the product's being offered to the
user at a price that is targeted at the user.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising: selecting the first
false persona so as to encourage the product's being offered to the
user at a price that is targeted to the first false persona.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving an
instruction from the user to select the first false persona from
the plurality of false personas.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: associating a second
false persona with a second transaction; and executing the second
transaction under the guise of the second false persona so as to
avoid revealing the user's identity and so as to avoid revealing an
association between the second transaction and the first
transaction.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second transaction is related
to the first transaction.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first transaction includes
purchasing a first product and the second transaction includes
purchasing a second product, and wherein the first product and the
second product each include at least one of a good and a
service.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first product and the second
product are identical products.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transaction includes
participating in an online auction.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction is sending a
message.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the message is one of an
electronic mail message, a newsgroup post, a message forum post,
and an instant message.
13. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a message
associated with the false persona; and performing a dispositive
action with respect to the message, wherein the dispositive action
includes at least one of discarding the message and forwarding the
message to the user.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the message is one of an
electronic mail message, a newsgroup post, and an instant
message.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is one of a plurality
of users that are associating with the first false persona.
16. A computer program product in a computer readable medium,
comprising instructions for: receiving, from a user, a request to
perform a first transaction through a network; associating a first
false persona with the transaction, wherein the first false persona
is selected from a plurality of false personas so as to achieve an
advantage for the user with respect to the first transaction; and
executing the first transaction under the guise of the first false
persona so as to avoid revealing the user's identity.
17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first
transaction includes purchasing a product, and wherein the product
includes one of a good and a service.
18. The computer program product of claim 17, comprising additional
instructions for: selecting the first false persona so as to
prevent the product's being offered to the user at a price that is
targeted at the user.
19. The computer program product of claim 17, comprising additional
instructions for: selecting the first false persona so as to
encourage the product's being offered to the user at a price that
is targeted to the first false persona.
20. The computer program product of claim 16, comprising additional
instructions for: receiving an instruction from the user to select
the first false persona from the plurality of false personas.
21. The computer program product of claim 16, comprising additional
instructions for: associating a second false persona with a second
transaction; and executing the second transaction under the guise
of the second false persona so as to avoid revealing the user's
identity and so as to avoid revealing an association between the
second transaction and the first transaction.
22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the second
transaction is related to the first transaction.
23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the first
transaction includes purchasing a first product and the second
transaction includes purchasing a second product, and wherein the
first product and the second product each include at least one of a
good and a service.
24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the first
product and the second product are identical products.
25. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first
transaction includes participating in an online auction.
26. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the
transaction is sending a message.
27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the message
is one of an electronic mail message, a newsgroup post, a message
forum post, and an instant message.
28. The computer program product of claim 16, comprising additional
instructions for: receiving a message associated with the false
persona; and performing a dispositive action with respect to the
message, wherein the dispositive action includes at least one of
discarding the message and forwarding the message to the user.
29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the message
is one of an electronic mail message, a newsgroup post, and an
instant message.
30. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the user is
one of a plurality of users that are associated with the first
false persona.
31. A data processing system comprising: a bus system; a processing
unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit
includes at least one processor; memory connected to the bus
system; a network adapter connected to the bus system, wherein the
network adapter connects to a network; and a set of instructions
wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to
perform the acts of: receiving, from a user, a request to perform a
first transaction through the network; associating a first false
persona with the transaction, wherein the first false persona is
selected from a plurality of false personas so as to achieve an
advantage for the user with respect to the first transaction; and
executing the first transaction under the guise of the first false
persona so as to avoid revealing the user's identity.
32. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the first
transaction includes purchasing a product, and wherein the product
includes one of a good and a service.
33. The data processing system of claim 32, wherein the processing
unit executes the set of instructions to perform the additional
acts of: selecting the first false persona so as to prevent the
product's being offered to the user at a price that is targeted at
the user.
34. The data processing system of claim 32, wherein the processing
unit executes the set of instructions to perform the additional
acts of: selecting the first false persona so as to encourage the
product's being offered to the user at a price that is targeted to
the first false persona.
35. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the processing
unit executes the set of instructions to perform the additional
acts of: receiving an instruction from the user to select the first
false persona from the plurality of false personas.
36. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the processing
unit executes the set of instructions to perform the additional
acts of: associating a second false persona with a second
transaction; and executing the second transaction under the guise
of the second false persona so as to avoid revealing the user's
identity and so as to avoid revealing an association between the
second transaction and the first transaction.
37. The data processing system of claim 36, wherein the second
transaction is related to the first transaction.
38. The data processing system of claim 36, wherein the first
transaction includes purchasing a first product and the second
transaction includes purchasing a second product, and wherein the
first product and the second product each include at least one of a
good and a service.
39. The data processing system of claim 38, wherein the first
product and the second product are identical products.
40. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the first
transaction includes participating in an online auction.
41. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the transaction
is sending a message.
42. The data processing system of claim 41, wherein the message is
one of an electronic mail message, a newsgroup post, a message
forum post, and an instant message.
43. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the processing
unit executes the set of instructions to perform the additional
acts of: receiving a message associated with the false persona; and
performing a dispositive action with respect to the message,
wherein the dispositive action includes at least one of discarding
the message and forwarding the message to the user.
44. The data processing system of claim 43, wherein the message is
one of an electronic mail message, a newsgroup post, and an instant
message.
45. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the user is one
of a plurality of users that are associating with the first false
persona.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed toward a method, computer program
product, and data processing system for circumventing commercial
practices targeted at individual consumers in a large computer
network such as the Internet. More specifically, the present
invention is directed toward hiding a user's true identity from
monitoring and profiling by online organizations such as
retailers.
2. Description of Related Art
The Internet, also referred to as an "internetwork", is a set of
computer networks, possibly dissimilar, joined together by means of
gateways that handle data transfer and the conversion of messages
from protocols of the sending network to the protocols used by the
receiving network (with packets if necessary). When capitalized,
the term "Internet" refers to the collection of networks and
gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols.
The Internet has become a cultural fixture as a source of both
information and entertainment. Many businesses are creating
Internet sites as an integral part of their marketing efforts,
informing consumers of the products or services offered by the
business or providing other information seeking to engender brand
loyalty. Many federal, state, and local government agencies are
also employing Internet sites for informational purposes,
particularly agencies that must interact with virtually all
segments of society such as the Internal Revenue Service and
secretaries of state. Providing informational guides and/or
searchable databases of online public records may reduce operating
costs. Further, the Internet is becoming increasingly popular as a
medium for commercial transactions.
Currently, the most commonly employed method of transferring data
over the Internet is to employ the World Wide Web environment, also
called simply "the Web". Other Internet resources exist for
transferring information, such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and
Gopher, but have not achieved the popularity of the Web. In the Web
environment, servers and clients effect data transaction using the
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), a known protocol for handling
the transfer of various data files (e.g., text, still graphic
images, audio, motion video, etc.). The information in various data
files is formatted for presentation to a user by a standard page
description language, the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). In
addition to basic presentation formatting, HTML allows developers
to specify "links" to other Web resources identified by a Uniform
Resource Locator (URL). A URL is a special syntax identifier
defining a communications path to specific information. Each
logical block of information accessible to a client, called a
"page" or a "Web page", is identified by a URL. The URL provides a
universal, consistent method for finding and accessing this
information, not necessarily for the user, but mostly for the
user's Web "browser". A browser is a program capable of submitting
a request for information identified by an identifier, such as, for
example, a URL. A user may enter a domain name through a graphical
user interface (GUI) for the browser to access a source of content.
The domain name is automatically converted to the Internet Protocol
(IP) address by a domain name system (DNS), which is a service that
translates the symbolic name entered by the user into an IP address
by looking up the domain name in a database. The internet also is
widely used to transfer applications to users using browsers. With
respect to commerce on the Web, individual consumers and business
use the Web to purchase various goods and services. In offering
goods and services, some companies offer goods and services solely
on the Web while others use the Web to extend their reach.
All of this connectivity, however, comes at a price. While
information, from businesses for instance, is more accessible to
individual users, information about the individual users themselves
is easily collected and disseminated. "Cookies" and other
mechanisms for "maintaining state" (i.e., preserving a user's
identity over a series of web transactions) allow for easy tracking
of user's purchase and other habits over time. A "cookie" is a
piece of information from a web server that is stored on a user's
computer and retrieved by the web server in subsequent transactions
so as to preserve the identity of the user across the transactions.
One type of cookie, a "persistent cookie," resides on a user's
computer even after a web-browsing session has ended. As a user
performs web transactions, such as reading particular pages or
buying particular products, the web servers serving those
transactions watch for the cookies they have placed on the user's
computer. Using these cookies, web servers and the organizations
that run them can catalog users' transactions to form user
profiles, particularly when persistent cookies are used, since
persistent cookies can be tracked over a long period of time and
across many transactions.
Another way in which a web-based organization tracks users is by
requiring a user to "log in" to a site before using it. A user
provides a user name and password before accessing the site.
Although this is usually a convenience to a repeat user (for
instance, a logged-in user need not repeat typing in billing and
shipping information to an online retailer), it allows a user's
activity to be monitored and profiled.
There are many uses for these profiles. One commonly used tactic is
to provide targeted advertising. For instance, if a web site is
aware that a user lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the
site can display advertisements for Dallas-Fort Worth-area
businesses. While such targeted advertisement seems relatively
benign, this kind of profiling can give businesses unfair
commercial advantages. If a merchant knows that a customer has a
liking for a particular type of product, the merchant will know
that the customer will be likely to buy the product at a higher
price than other customers. Likewise, if a customer does not
normally buy a particular product, a merchant that is aware of this
fact can undercut competitors' prices on that item as an enticement
to lure that customer into buying the product. All of this can
occur without a buyer's even being aware that it is happening.
A need exists, therefore, for a method of circumventing the use of
profiling against consumers. A further benefit would arise if such
circumvention gave consumers a similar advantage over merchants and
other profiling organizations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method, computer program product,
and data processing system for circumventing profiling and
targeting of World Wide Web users. A number of fictitious web
"personae" are established. A user wishing to perform a particular
web transaction assumes a persona that best fits the user's current
needs. The user's actions are then attributed to the persona,
rather than the user. When the user wishes to perform another
transaction, a different persona may be assumed, depending upon the
circumstances, so that any disadvantage attributable to performing
the same web transaction multiple times may be eliminated. This has
the dual advantage of both protecting the user's privacy and taking
advantage of special offers and incentives that may be targeted to
first-time customers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set
forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as
well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages
thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following
detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a computer network in which the processes of
the present invention may be implemented;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a server in which the processes of the
present invention may be implemented;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a client in which the processes of the
present invention may be implemented;
FIG. 4 is a diagram of the process of assuming a false persona in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 5 is a diagram of persona assumption server software in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 6A is a diagram of a log in page to a persona assumption
service in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 6B is a diagram of a user database in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a product selection page in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is merchant selection page in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 9A is a diagram of a persona database in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 9B is a diagram of a persona assumption confirmation and
launch page in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 10A is a diagram of an online retailer page viewed with an
assumed persona;
FIG. 10B is unmodified HTML source to the page in FIG. 10A;
FIG. 10C is HTML source to the page in FIG. 10A, which has been
modified so as to make a persona assumption server act as an
intermediary between the user and the online retailer;
FIG. 11 is an order screen showing a discounted price achieved
through the use of a false persona in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a billing information screen to an online retailer,
filled with actual billing and shipping information in accordance
with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 13 is a flowchart representation of a process of assuming a
false persona in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference now to the figures, FIG. 1 is a pictorial
representation of a network of data processing systems in which the
present invention may be implemented. Network data processing
system 100 is a network of computers in which the present invention
may be implemented. Network data processing system 100 contains a
network 102, which is the medium used to provide communications
links between various devices and computers connected together
within network data processing system 100. Network 102 may include
connections, such as wire, wireless communication links, or fiber
optic cables.
In the depicted example, a server 104 is connected to network 102
along with storage unit 106. In addition, clients 108, 110, and 112
also are connected to network 102. These clients 108, 110, and 112
may be, for example, personal computers or network computers. In
the depicted example, server 104 provides data, such as boot files,
operating system images, and applications to clients 108 112.
Clients 108, 110, and 112 are clients to server 104. Network data
processing system 100 may include additional servers, clients, and
other devices not shown. In the depicted example, network data
processing system 100 is the Internet with network 102 representing
a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP
suite of protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart of
the Internet is a backbone of high-speed data communication lines
between major nodes or host computers, consisting of thousands of
commercial, government, educational and other computer systems that
route data and messages. Of course, network data processing system
100 also may be implemented as a number of different types of
networks, such as for example, an intranet, a local area network
(LAN), or a wide area network (WAN). FIG. 1 is intended as an
example, and not as an architectural limitation for the present
invention.
Referring to FIG. 2, a block diagram of a data processing system
that may be implemented as a server, such as server 104 in FIG. 1,
is depicted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
present invention. Data processing system 200 may be a symmetric
multiprocessor (SMP) system including a plurality of processors 202
and 204 connected to system bus 206. Alternatively, a single
processor system may be employed. Also connected to system bus 206
is memory controller/cache 208, which provides an interface to
local memory 209. I/O bus bridge 210 is connected to system bus 206
and provides an interface to I/O bus 212. Memory controller/cache
208 and I/O bus bridge 210 may be integrated as depicted.
Peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus bridge 214 connected to
I/O bus 212 provides an interface to PCI local bus 216. A number of
modems may be connected to PCI bus 216. Typical PCI bus
implementations will support four PCI expansion slots or add-in
connectors. Communications links to network computers 108 112 in
FIG. 1 may be provided through modem 218 and network adapter 220
connected to PCI local bus 216 through add-in boards.
Additional PCI bus bridges 222 and 224 provide interfaces for
additional PCI buses 226 and 228, from which additional modems or
network adapters may be supported. In this manner, data processing
system 200 allows connections to multiple network computers. A
memory-mapped graphics adapter 230 and hard disk 232 may also be
connected to I/O bus 212 as depicted, either directly or
indirectly.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the
hardware depicted in FIG. 2 may vary. For example, other peripheral
devices, such as optical disk drives and the like, also may be used
in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted. The depicted
example is not meant to imply architectural limitations with
respect to the present invention.
The data processing system depicted in FIG. 2 may be, for example,
an IBM RISC/System 6000 system, a product of International Business
Machines Corporation in Armonk, N.Y., running the Advanced
Interactive Executive (AIX) operating system.
With reference now to FIG. 3, a block diagram illustrating a data
processing system is depicted in which the present invention may be
implemented. Data processing system 300 is an example of a client
computer. Data processing system 300 employs a peripheral component
interconnect (PCI) local bus architecture. Although the depicted
example employs a PCI bus, other bus architectures such as
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) and Industry Standard Architecture
(ISA) may be used. Processor 302 and main memory 304 are connected
to PCI local bus 306 through PCI bridge 308. PCI bridge 308 also
may include an integrated memory controller and cache memory for
processor 302. Additional connections to PCI local bus 306 may be
made through direct component interconnection or through add-in
boards. In the depicted example, local area network (LAN) adapter
310, SCSI host bus adapter 312, and expansion bus interface 314 are
connected to PCI local bus 306 by direct component connection. In
contrast, audio adapter 316, graphics adapter 318, and audio/video
adapter 319 are connected to PCI local bus 306 by add-in boards
inserted into expansion slots. Expansion bus interface 314 provides
a connection for a keyboard and mouse adapter 320, modem 322, and
additional memory 324. Small computer system interface (SCSI) host
bus adapter 312 provides a connection for hard disk drive 326, tape
drive 328, and CD-ROM drive 330. Typical PCI local bus
implementations will support three or four PCI expansion slots or
add-in connectors.
An operating system runs on processor 302 and is used to coordinate
and provide control of various components within data processing
system 300 in FIG. 3. The operating system may be a commercially
available operating system, such as Windows 2000, which is
available from Microsoft Corporation. An object oriented
programming system such as Java may run in conjunction with the
operating system and provide calls to the operating system from
Java programs or applications executing on data processing system
300. "Java" is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Instructions
for the operating system, the object-oriented operating system, and
applications or programs are located on storage devices, such as
hard disk drive 326, and may be loaded into main memory 304 for
execution by processor 302.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the
hardware in FIG. 3 may vary depending on the implementation. Other
internal hardware or peripheral devices, such as flash ROM (or
equivalent nonvolatile memory) or optical disk drives and the like,
may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted in
FIG. 3. Also, the processes of the present invention may be applied
to a multiprocessor data processing system.
As another example, data processing system 300 may be a stand-alone
system configured to be bootable without relying on some type of
network communication interface, whether or not data processing
system 300 comprises some type of network communication interface.
As a further example, data processing system 300 may be a Personal
Digital Assistant (PDA) device, which is configured with ROM and/or
flash ROM in order to provide non-volatile memory for storing
operating system files and/or user-generated data.
The depicted example in FIG. 3 and above-described examples are not
meant to imply architectural limitations. For example, data
processing system 300 also may be a notebook computer or hand held
computer in addition to taking the form of a PDA. Data processing
system 300 also may be a kiosk or a Web appliance.
The present invention provides a user with a measure of security
and commercial bargaining power by allowing the user to assume a
fictitious persona or alter ego when performing web transactions.
By the term "user" we mean any entity that makes use of the present
invention to assume such a persona; such as, for example, a person,
a software agent, a program, a machine, or another fictitious
persona. The particular persona is chosen so as to exploit known
schemes for targeting online consumers. An illustrative embodiment
involving target pricing of customers in an online bookstore is
herein described. It is important to realize, however, that the
present invention applies with equal utility to other contexts in
which the assumption of a false identity may be advantageous to a
user. One example of this would be in a communication or
transaction between individuals over electronic mail. By assuming a
false identity, a user could enter into online transactions without
having to reveal personal information, such as the user's actual
physical or electronic mail address. Electronic mail could be
received by a "persona assumption service," rather than by the user
directly. In this way, a persona assumption service could act as an
escrow agent, facilitating a transaction, while granting a level of
security by using a third party to shield the user from possible
malicious conduct (e.g., theft or physical violence).
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an overall view of the operation of a
preferred embodiment of the present invention. A client computer
400 communicates through a persona server 402 with a commercial web
server 404. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, web
server 404 is associated with an online bookstore that uses
targeted pricing. Persona server 402 hides the identity of the user
of client computer 400 by the use of cookies and/or logins
associated with a false persona. A "false persona," as used in this
document, means a false identity of a person, organization, or any
other entity capable of engaging in online commercial transactions.
A persona should thus be distinguished from, say, a network address
assumed by a masquerading router or firewall. Personas identify
persons or person-like things. Thus, web server 404 "believes" it
is dealing with the person or entity represented by the false
persona, rather than the real user of client computer 400. Client
computer 400 directs persona server 402 to perform online
transactions under the guise of the false persona.
Which false persona is chosen depends on what type of transaction
will take place, with which organization it will take place, and
what products or services are involved. For instance, if a website
charges high prices to customers who show a liking for books in a
particular subject, a user could assume a persona that appears to
have no interest in that subject, so as to circumvent the targeted
pricing scheme. As another example, if a website offers promotions
to first-time customers, a user could assume a "newborn" persona
with no prior history of transactions with that website so as to
take advantage of the offer.
FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of persona server 402. HTTP
server 500 receives transaction requests from a user client and
returns information to the user client. Control software 502
associates a user client with a given false persona and translates
messages between the user client and a web server so as to replace
the user client's true identity with that of the persona. HTTP
client 504 communicates with a web server under the guise of the
false persona. HTTP client 504 fulfills cookie retrieval requests
from the web server by providing the persona's cookie, rather than
the user client's cookie. Information sent by HTTP client 504 to
the web server has been processed by control software 502 so as to
hide the user client's identity and substitute the false persona's
identity whenever feasible. Likewise, information read by HTTP
client 504 from the web server is processed by control software 502
so as to ensure that the user client will send all of its HTTP
requests through HTTP server 500, rather than directly to the web
server, so as to preserve anonymity.
Control software 502 has access to two databases. User database 506
stores personal and contact information regarding user clients.
Persona database 508 stores information regarding various false
personas available for use. Control software 502 associates
information about a user client in user database 506 with a persona
from persona database 508 to allow a user client to assume a false
persona. In the following examples, both user database 506 and
persona database 508 are used in facilitating a transaction.
FIGS. 6A 11 provide a representation of the operation of a
preferred embodiment of the present invention from the perspective
of a web-based user interface. The embodiment depicted in FIGS. 6A
11 is a persona assumption system used in conjunction with online
bookstores. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that
the processes of the present invention are not limited in scope to
the sale of books, or even to sales websites in general. Rather,
the present invention can be applied whenever an advantage can be
obtained by disguising the user's identity and substituting some
kind of fictitious alter ego. FIG. 6A depicts a browser 600
displaying a log-in screen, where a user can enter a username and
password and access the persona assumption website by clicking
button 602.
FIG. 6B depicts a user database in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the present invention. The user database stores
records containing personal information for each user of the
persona assumption service, including the username and password of
each user.
FIG. 7 depicts a web page for selecting a type of product (in this
case, a genre of book). Selecting the type of product to be
purchased aids the persona system in choosing a persona that best
fits the user's current needs. More specifically, if a user will be
charged a premium for products that it is known that the user
likes, the user will benefit from assuming a persona that does not
appear to have the same liking for those products. Thus, in the
example, by selecting "mysteries," the service will attempt to
choose a persona that has not purchased mystery books. If no such
persona exists, then a new one can be created. FIG. 8 depicts a web
page allowing the user to choose stores at which to shop. This also
aids in selecting a persona, in that a persona may have purchased a
particular type of product at one store but not at another. Also,
it may be possible that different stores utilize different
targeting practices, and knowing which store(s) will be shopped at
helps determine whether the characteristics of a given persona will
effectively circumvent or take advantage of merchants' targeting
practices.
FIG. 9A depicts a persona database in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the present invention. The persona database contains
both fictitious personal information regarding the personas and
information about products purchased under the guise of each
persona in the past. In the diagram, persona 2 has purchased two
books on investment from "Nile.com" and three books on computers
from "Bonds and Sobel.com." If, as in the running example, a user
wishes to buy mystery books and the bookstores engage in targeted
pricing, such that an avid mystery reader would pay a premium for
mysteries, the user is better off with persona 2, rather than
persona 1, since persona 1 has already purchased five mystery
books, and persona 2 has not purchased any. Thus, when such
targeted pricing occurs, the optimal persona can be chosen by
finding the persona that has purchased the least number of the type
of product in question from the vendor(s) in question. One of
ordinary skill in the art will recognize, however, that under
different targeting practices and different environments, different
persona selection strategies or algorithms may be employed with
comparable results.
FIG. 9A also contains electronic mail (e-mail) addresses for each
of the personas. These e-mail addresses may be real addresses
operated by the persona service, for receiving order confirmations
for forwarding to users. Any "spam" (unsolicited "junk" e-mail)
received in the personas' e-mail in-boxes can be discarded before
reaching the user.
FIG. 9B depicts a web page showing that a persona has been selected
by the service and has now been assumed by the user. The user is
now free to enter a destination URL into entry field 900 and press
button 902 to proceed to the user's online retailer of choice.
FIG. 10A depicts a web page of an online retailer being visited by
a user under a false persona in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the present invention. In the running example, the
user wishes to purchase a mystery book. Here, however, because the
user has assumed a fictitious persona showing an interest, not in
mysteries, but in investment books, the user's is presented a
recommendation to purchase a book on investing, "Bogle on Mutual
Funds." The user is provided with a text input 1000 and submission
button 1002 for searching for a book desired by the user.
The page in FIG. 10A is downloaded from the online retailer's
website by HTTP client 504 (in FIG. 5), processed by control
program 502, then transmitted to the user's client computer by HTTP
server 500. The user's client computer never communicates directly
with the retailer's website.
The online retailer believes it is communicating with the persona
"Mary Smith," rather than with Michael Elliot, because when the
online retailer's web server requests a cookie from the user, HTTP
client 504 (in FIG. 5) returns a cookie associated with the
persona, not with the actual user.
FIGS. 10B and 10C show how control program 502 processes the HTML
pages from the retailer's website so as to ensure that the user
never directly accesses the retailer's website. FIG. 10B shows an
HTML source listing 1004 for the page depicted in FIG. 10A, as it
is downloaded by HTTP client 504 from the retailer's website.
Source listing 1004 includes a link tag 1006 and a submission form
tag 1008 for initiating additional contacts with the retailer's
website. Link tag 1006 generates link 1010 in FIG. 10A, which
directs the user to page on the retailer's website offering the
book "Bogle on Mutual Funds." Submission form tag 1008 generates
the search form made up of text input 1000 and submission button
1002. Link tag 1006 and submission form tag 1008 point to pages on
the retailer's website; if source listing 1004 were not modified by
control program 502, a user clicking on link 1010 or submission
button 1002 would initiate a direct connection with the retailer,
thus bypassing the persona assumption service.
For this reason, control program 502 modifies HTML source, such as
that in source listing 1004 to make its links and forms point to
HTTP server 500, rather than to the retailer directly. FIG. 10C
illustrates how this is done in a preferred embodiment. HTML source
listing 1012 is a modified version of source listing 1004 generated
by control program 502. Link tag 1006, which pointed to the
retailer's own website has been replaced with link tag 1014, which
points to HTTP server 500, instead. Likewise, submission form tag
1016 replaces submission form tag 1008, and it points to HTTP
server 500 as well. These replacement tags carry codes, which are
translated by control program 502 back into the original URLs found
in tags 1006 and 1008.
FIG. 11 depicts a web page showing the user's desired book at a
discounted price. Clicking button 1100 will begin a process of
ordering the book.
At the appropriate point in the ordering process, the control
program 502 enters shipping and billing data into the seller's
form. This process may involve "screen-scraping" the seller's HTML
output in order to identify the correct way to supply the
information. "Screen-scraping" means analyzing information as it is
displayed on a computer screen to extract useful information; for
example, if a ZIP code is needed, the information displayed on the
computer screen can be scanned to find a five-digit number in the
vicinity of the acronym "ZIP." In one embodiment, the control
program 502 supplies the persona assumption service's own billing
information, such as a credit card owned by the persona assumption
service and possibly associated with the persona in use, and then
separately bills the user. In an alternative embodiment, the user's
credit card data, obtained from the user's entry in user database
506, is supplied directly to the seller. Similarly, the persona
assumption service could supply its own shipping information to the
seller and then relay the product to the user, or it could supply
the user's shipping information directly to the seller.
FIG. 12 depicts a page representing a portion of an order form for
the book being purchased by the user from the previous figures in
which the user's credit card information and shipping information
have been entered. Note that although the user's personal
information is now being sent to the online retailer, it is too
late for the online retailer to change the price of the book as
offered. Thus, entering this personal data at this late stage is
relatively harmless, at least with respect to purchase price.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart representation of the operation of a
preferred embodiment of the present invention. First, a user enters
information about the transactions the user will be executing
online (step 1300). Next, a persona suited to the user's purposes
is selected for the user (step 1302). Then, the user performs the
transactions under the guise of the fictitious persona (step 1304).
Finally, an optional step of correlating the transactions made
under the guise of the persona with the user's true identity (e.g.,
arranging for a product to be shipped or billed to the actual user)
is executed (step 1306).
One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many
variations upon the basic invention as disclosed herein are
possible. For instance, the server-based "persona assumption
service" might be replaced with a web browser program that allowed
for the creation of multiple personas on a user's own client
computer. Also, in the case of online services using
machine-friendly interfaces, such as eXtensible Markup Language
(XML) or Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), an embodiment of the
present invention could act under the guise of a persona using such
an interface and in so doing, provide identity masking to a user
transparently. In such a situation, "screen-scraping" the seller's
information would be unnecessary, since the seller's XML output
would specify the form in which the user's information should be
supplied. Another variation would be to allow a user to choose a
persona under manual control, such as by selecting from a list of
personas, selecting from a categorized list of persona types, or by
specifying desired attributes of the persona.
In cases in which the user is a software agent or other non-human
entity, the present invention would preferably communicate directly
with these non-human users via XML, SOAP, or other machine-friendly
interface. In such a situation, no HTTP server or Web browser would
be involved.
There are numerous applications for the use of an assumed persona
in electronic commerce. For instance, a user may wish to split a
large product order into smaller orders, each under a different
persona, to hide the fact that the user is making such a large
order. A group of users may wish to use a single persona as a means
of sharing online services or pooling resources. Also, a persona
may be used to play "what if" and experiment with options on a
given website, without the experimentation being discovered (e.g.,
experimenting with an airline reservation system to determine which
days are cheaper to fly on).
Other environments than the World Wide Web or online shopping are
also amenable to the processes of the present invention. For
instance, a persona assumption system could be set up for posting
messages to message forums and newsgroups, so as to hide a user's
true identity from others that might misuse that information. Also,
persona assumption could be used in sending and receiving instant
messages (using software such as ICQ or AOL Instant Messenger for
sending short text messages in real-time).
A service such as the one herein described will, in a preferred
embodiment, be a paid service. A number of billing arrangements are
possible, including but not limited to: a flat membership fee for
use, collecting a percentage of a consumer's savings realized by
using the persona, and billing the user for usage time.
It is important to note that while the present invention has been
described in the context of a fully functioning data processing
system, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the
processes of the present invention are capable of being distributed
in the form of a computer readable medium of instructions and a
variety of forms and that the present invention applies equally
regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media actually
used to carry out the distribution. Examples of computer readable
media include recordable-type media, such as a floppy disk, a hard
disk drive, a RAM, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and transmission-type media,
such as digital and analog communications links, wired or wireless
communications links using transmission forms, such as, for
example, radio frequency and light wave transmissions. The computer
readable media may take the form of coded formats that are decoded
for actual use in a particular data processing system.
The description of the present invention has been presented for
purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be
exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many
modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary
skill in the art. Although the depicted illustrations show the
mechanism of the present invention embodied on a single server,
this mechanism may be distributed through multiple data processing
systems. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best
explain the principles of the invention, the practical application,
and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the
invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are
suited to the particular use contemplated.
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